Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Union government for failing to address the critical issues faced by Tamil Nadu fishermen during his recent visit to Sri Lanka.

Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Stalin said the longstanding demand to retrieve the Katchatheevu island and stop the repeated arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy were once again ignored.

“This only shows that Tamil Nadu’s demand for retrieving Katchatheevu has been ignored. It does not appear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who went to Sri Lanka, raised the fishermen’s release, too. This is regrettable and disappointing,” Stalin stated.

The Chief Minister accused the Union government of letting down the fishermen community. However, he reassured that the DMK government would continue to protect the rights and livelihood of the state’s fishermen. “No matter how the Union government behaves, we will not fail to protect our fishermen’s livelihood. The DMK government will stand with the fishermen,” he said.

Just after PM Modi’s Sri Lanka trip, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution on April 2, urging the Centre to take strong steps to stop the arrests of Indian fishermen. The resolution also called for retrieving Katchatheevu island, releasing jailed fishermen, and returning their confiscated boats.

The Tamil Nadu government had expected PM Modi to raise these issues during his meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. While 14 Indian fishermen were released a day after Modi’s visit, Stalin said this partial action was not enough. He noted that there was no mention of Katchatheevu or the many fishermen still in Sri Lankan custody.

The Union government had said PM Modi spoke about resolving the issue with a “humane approach,” but Stalin criticised the lack of any firm decision or results.

To strengthen support for the fishing community, Stalin also announced the construction of a new fishing harbour at Thangachimadam in Rameswaram, one of the areas most affected by the Katchatheevu dispute and fishermen arrests.

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